Conflict Minerals

Each and every one of us living in the western world is helping fuel the deadliest war since WWII. Our consumerism is perpetuating an ongoing conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of rapes, over 6 million deaths in the past 15 years, and over 4 million more displaced. Armed groups in the DRC and neighboring countries profit in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the illicit trade in conflict minerals.

The electronic gadgets we view as modern day necessities are all manufactured using conflict minerals. Conflict minerals are tin, tantalum (coltan), tungsten (known as the "3 T's") and gold. These minerals are used in our everyday electronics products such as cell phones, laptop computers, iPads, and digital cameras. Militias war for control over access to the mines that produce these minerals, raping and murdering civilians in the process. The conflict mineral supply chain is fraught with corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, and horrific labor conditions that exploit children and violate human rights. We must work together to bring an end to the illicit mineral trade and promote mineral sourcing that is untainted by atrocities.